AMERICORPS PROJECT RISE

Transcription

1 AMERICORPS PROJECT RISE AmeriCorps Project RISE members serving on Make a Difference Day AmeriCorps Project RISE (Refugee and Immigrant Success through Education) is a service partnership between New American Pathways and Fugees Family. AmeriCorps Project RISE focuses on providing educational services to address the significant literacy gap in the refugee community, among both youth and their parents. This program will engage a total of 22 full time and 2 part time AmeriCorps members to assist in the education of refugee children and families and to strengthen the community we serve by fostering a spirit of volunteerism and responsibility in citizens.

2 AmeriCorps Project RISE Why work with Refugees? There were 19.5 million refugees worldwide at the end of During the year, conflict and persecution forced an average of 42,500 persons per day to leave their homes and seek protection elsewhere. More than half of the world s refugees are children (51%): the highest figure in over a decade. The Syrian refugee crisis is the largest displacement of people of our time. With those statistics it is pretty evident that refugees are one of the most vulnerable global populations. But how does that affect our state of Georgia? Well, DeKalb County has the highest refugee population of any county in Georgia - more than 3,000 refugees move to DeKalb County each year - and is, in fact, one of the largest refugee resettlement locations in the country. These families have come to the United States to escape war, economic and political strife, health issues and famine in their countries of origin and refugee camps. Upon arrival in the United States, refugee families must adjust quickly to American culture, language and schools, all while struggling to achieve economic self-sufficiency. Child victims of war often have a difficult time adapting to their new environment. They must learn a new language, adapt to a new culture and catch up academically in school. Many have never attended school or have had gaps in their education. It is through AmeriCorps Project RISE that agencies in this project are able to provide the comprehensive, individualized education services that support and sustain self-sufficiency in the refugee community. Our YWLP girls get goofy at a mentor appreciation event! All member activities include a focus on education and literacy, with most members serving at least one-third of their time in out-of-school tutoring and mentoring programs and two-thirds of their time delivering core program services in specific departments at their assigned locations. AmeriCorps is an 11-month commitment starting September All full-time members will complete a minimum of 1710 hours and half-time members a minimum 910 hours.

3 Benefits of Full-Time Service AmeriCorps provides opportunities for Americans to make an ongoing, intensive commitment to service. AmeriCorps Project RISE is an 11-month commitment that has the ability to change your life. More than 70,000 men and women like you are serving all over the country every year in various AmeriCorps programs. This experience offers more than just an AmeriCorps stipend; it encompasses the satisfaction of incorporating service into your life and making a difference in your community and your country. Project RISE, along with other AmeriCorps programs consider this to be a meaningful, once in a lifetime opportunity to dedicate a year of your life to service. Through this life changing experience, you will receive the following benefits: 1. A stipend of $570 (pre-tax) distributed twice a month for full-time members. 2. A full-time, meaningful experience that allows you to learn new skills, take on more responsibility than a typical first job, and engage with your community in intensive and extensive ways. 3. Health insurance, dental, and vision for full time members. 4. Professional trainings at the Georgia Center for Nonprofits free of charge. 5. Loan deferment and payment of interest accrued (as applicable). 6. Staff dedicated to YOU and your experience. 7. Opportunities to volunteer outside of the office with your team during service days and with the larger community. 8. The nicest staff you will ever have the chance to serve with and for! 9. A chance to develop your leadership and teamwork skills, attend pre-service orientation, go on an overnight retreat and experience other monthly teambuilding opportunities. 10. The opportunity to gain professional experience and learn about international and multicultural communities. 11. An education award of $5730 for full-time members and $2865 for half-time members for college, vocational school, graduate school or to pay back student loans, upon successful completion of your term of service. Some of our members get ready to volunteer at the Clarkston Bike Rally

4 Service Site NEW AMERICAN PATHWAYS New American Pathways welcomes refugees and helps them along the path to selfsufficiency in their new home. In addition to meeting the immediate needs of shelter, food, clothing and medical care, New American Pathways provides early learning and youth academic support, adult education and community engagement. Equally it offers longterm services in the areas of Resettlement, Employment, Education and Youth, Immigration, and Family Engagement. POSITIONS SIXTEEN FULL-TIME MEMBERS WILL SERVE AT THE NEW AMERICAN PATHWAYS LOCATION. MEMBERS WILL SERVE AN AFTERNOON/ AFTERNOONS IN THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM EITHER AT A DEKALB COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL OR AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. School Readiness Member - Assist refugee families with public school registration and referrals to community resources. Facilitate workshops and one-on- one sessions with parents and school educators. Health Services Member - Create and deliver health literacy workshops to adult clients. Assist clients with referrals to medical services and navigation of the US healthcare system. Employment Members (2 positions) - Create educational workshops for adult clients including financial literacy, employment skills training and job placement. Adult Education Member - Create and facilitate workshops for adult clients on topics such as transportation safety, financial literacy, and home management. Family Engagement Member - Support Parents as Teachers and School Liaison programs through connecting families with community resources. Organize workshops and group connections that cover parenting and schoolrelated topics. Community Outreach Member - Organize activities and events to educate the community about refugee issues and raise community awareness about New American Pathways programs. Facilitate group volunteer experiences developing relationships with faith groups, corporations, schools, and other groups. Volunteer Engagement Member - Coordinate communication, placement, orientation and training for volunteer opportunities with New American Pathways and in the community. Identify potential volunteers by fostering partnerships within the community. Coordinate the recruitment and placement of interns in the agency. Young Women s Leadership Member - Identify and develop leadership skills and opportunities for students participating in the Young Women s Leadership Program. Provide 9 th -12 th grade refugee girls with highquality individual mentoring, peer and community leadership opportunities, and life skills training.

5 Elementary School Curriculum Development (2 positions) - Help create sustainable afterschool curriculum (focused on literacy, character development, and other academic support) to engage elementary-age refugee youth. Co-lead afterschool program classroom instruction in a class of elementary school students. Middle School Curriculum Development - Develop afterschool activities and curriculum that engage middle school refugee youth in the areas of personal development and growth, life skills, and teen-related issues as well as literacy, math, science, technology, art, music, and community service. English at Home Member (2) - Match English-speaking volunteers with refugee clients and track clients progress and engagement in learning. Develop and organize curricula, resources and reference materials for volunteers to provide instruction in English. Community Engagement Member - Assess newly arrived clients educational and vocational strengths, evaluate clients foreign credentials (and transfer them, if possible), match clients with potential mentors, and conduct resume building and vocational workshops. Cuban Education Services Member - Orient newly arrived Cubans to life in the United States by helping to educate them how to navigate processes involving public benefits, health care, and immigration. Service Site Fugees Family Fugees Family builds upon the power of soccer to galvanize refugee youth and give them the support and structure they need to realize their vast potential. Fugees Family operates the Fugees Academy, a private school for refugee youth in grades 6-12 that live in Clarkston, Georgia. Other Fugees programs include a year-round soccer program for all participants, afterschool tutoring, an academic enrichment summer camp, and community outreach. POSITIONS: SIX FULL-TIME, AND TWO PART-TIME MEMBERS WILL SERVE AT THE FUGEES SITE. Full-time (6) and Part-Time (2) Academy and Afterschool Members - Supervise students and volunteers during afterschool tutoring. Build relationships with families of students to address employment, health, and social service needs. Provide supervision and transportation for daily Fugees soccer practices and weekend games. Provide support for Fugees Academy daily logistics, special events and field trips.

6 How to Apply AmeriCorps Project RISE Thank you for your interest in joining this exciting leadership program! We are an equal opportunity service organization and encourage qualified applicants with and without disabilities to apply. Reasonable accommodations and alternative formats are available upon request. Understand that this is a service opportunity and not a regular employment position. Position availability is contingent upon approval of grant funding by the Georgia Commission Board and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Please read this Project RISE Information Packet carefully before completing the application. Submit your completed application, two written statements and resume to the site(s) to which you are applying. Incomplete applications will not be considered. PLEASE SUBMIT TO: Attn: Jayme Hogan-Yarbro New American Pathways 2300 Henderson Mill Rd, NE Suite 200 Atlanta, GA j.hogan-yarbro@newamericanpathways.org June 10: Priority Application Deadline June 30: Final Application Deadline *By applying early and before the priority deadline, applicants who are called for interview will hear back from AmeriCorps Project RISE recruitment at an earlier date.